On the street, to work or school with Corona: As of today, Wednesday, Bavaria is one of the first federal states to lift the obligation to isolate and instead introduce protective measures for people who are corona positive. An overview of the new rules.
After the meeting of the Bavarian cabinet, the head of the Bavarian State Chancellery, Florian Herrmann (CSU), spoke of the “jump out of the pandemic towards normality”. The corona virus will still be there, but dealing with it is different now. “Part of normality means: Those who are sick stay at home. No longer: Those who are infected stay at home.”
For around 20 months, isolation was mandatory if the corona test was positive – from today, Wednesday, this will be over in Bavaria. Corona infected people can then also leave the apartment, but they have to follow certain rules. Health Minister Klaus Holetschek (CSU) explained: “Instead of the obligation to isolate, mandatory protective measures for those who have tested positive are taking place.” In this way, Bavaria creates “the balance between personal responsibility and the protection of vulnerable groups of people”. An overview of the new rules, which will initially apply until January 31:
Mask requirement for corona positives
The quarantine for close contacts of corona infected people was abolished in Bavaria in April, and the mandatory isolation for people with a positive test is no longer applicable. In future, a mask requirement will apply to those who have tested positive from the age of six. According to the Ministry of Health, at least one medical mask is required, and an FFP2 mask is recommended.
Corona positives do not need to wear a mask in their own home. This also applies to interior spaces where no other people are present. The mask is only mandatory outdoors if the minimum distance of 1.5 meters cannot be maintained. “The mask protects against spreading the infection. It is a milder measure than isolation and an important part of infection protection,” said Holetschek.
Anyone who can prove with a medical certificate that he or she cannot reasonably be expected to wear a mask for health reasons is exempt from the mask requirement. This also applies to deaf and hard of hearing people and their companions.
Entry and activity bans in certain facilities
In order to protect particularly vulnerable groups, people who are corona positive in Bavaria are not allowed to visit medical and nursing facilities. According to the Ministry of Health, visitors to curative day-care centers are exempt from this entry ban. Accompanying the dying is permitted at any time according to the new general decree.
In addition, there is also a ban on activities for employees, operators and volunteers in medical and nursing facilities. Here, too, there is an exception for remedial day-care centers. In hospitals, prevention, rehabilitation and disabled facilities as well as in emergency services, all employees and volunteers who have no contact with vulnerable people are exempt from the ban on activities.
Entry and activity bans for employees, operators, volunteers and visitors are also prescribed for large communal accommodations – such as homes for the homeless and asylum seekers as well as correctional facilities.
How long do the protective measures apply?
If you have been symptom-free for at least 48 hours, you can take the mask off outside your own home after five days at the earliest. However, the mask requirement ends after ten days at the latest. The same periods also apply to the bans on entering and working.
What about people who are in isolation?
As of today, the new rules apply to everyone – and therefore also to those people who have been in isolation so far. This ends their isolation, instead they have to observe the new protective measures.
Appeal: Sick people should stay at home
In addition to the prescribed protective measures, Holetschek refers to the urgent recommendation: “Anyone who is sick stays at home – as with other acute respiratory diseases.”
The minister appeals to citizens to comply with the protective measures and to isolate themselves in the event of a positive test result. “Those who can, for example, should work from home and stay away from other people in the household as much as possible.” After more than two years of the pandemic, everyone knows very well how we can protect ourselves and others from infection.
With Corona to work?
With the elimination of the obligation to isolate, a positive corona test is no longer necessarily a reason for calling in sick – the decisive question is whether you have symptoms of illness. Minister Holetschek advises corona positives to ideally work from home if possible (see above). Ultimately, employers will have to decide how to protect themselves against infection in their company and how to deal with asymptomatic corona positives.
what about schools
According to the Bavarian Ministry of Education, the following applies to students and teachers: “Anyone who is ill does not go to school.” However, there are no exceptions to the new rules for schools, as a ministry spokesman clarified when asked by BR24. Head of State Herrmann said that the very drastic measure of isolation would be lifted in principle. “That applies to all areas of life and therefore, logically, it also applies to school.”
Economics Minister Hubert Aiwanger (Free Voters) added the recommendation: In addition to sick children, schoolchildren who tested positive should “make sense” to stay at home: “It’s only a matter of a few days.” However, if the parents insist that their child go to school, “then it has to wear the mask there for these few days”.
What applies outside of Bavaria?
In addition to Bavaria, three other federal states have also announced the end of the obligation to isolate. In Baden-Württemberg it also applies from Wednesday, in Hesse and Schleswig-Holstein the exact date is still open. Other federal states are still examining such a step, while others have so far rejected it.
Sharp criticism came from Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD): “In winter, with a high number of cases, it will be risky,” complained the SPD politician. The job must remain safe. “Fortunately only 4 out of 16 countries do that.” The board of directors of the German Foundation for Patient Protection, Eugen Brysch, spoke of “contradictory regulations”. Bavaria provides “a chaotic example” for all countries that want to give up the obligation to isolate: “In practice, it is impossible to distinguish between vulnerable and non-vulnerable people in the facilities.”
On the other hand, the President of the German Medical Association, Klaus Reinhardt, considers it justifiable to end the obligation to isolate people infected with the corona virus. “This is also shown by the experiences of other European countries that have already taken this step,” he told the “Rheinische Post”. Isolation requirements are disproportionate in view of the declining number of infections and the predominantly mild course of the disease. From Reinhardt’s point of view, however, it would be desirable “if the federal states agree on a nationwide uniform procedure”.